More areas flooded in Assam as rivers rise

Guwahati, June 29 (IANS) More areas were flooded in Assam Saturday due to surging waters of Brahmaputra river and its tributaries, which continued to swell due to incessant rains in Arunachal Pradesh, officials said. There was no report of casualties.

Several villages in Assam's river island Majuli were submerged under waters since Friday night. Officials of the Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA) said that fresh areas in Tinsukia district have been inundated by flood waters since Friday.

More areas of Dhemaji district have also been inundated by floods forcing the district administration to open three relief camps for the flood-hit people, the ASDMA officials said adding that over 700 people are taking shelter in the camps.

More than 8,000 people have been affected by floods in Dhemaji and Tinsukia district taking the number of total flood-affected people in five districts of Assam to over 19,000, ASDMA officials said.

Although floods have damaged roads and houses at many places and breached embankments at several places, yet there is no human causality in the floods so far this year, the officials said.

However, the flood situation might turn worst as water level in major rivers like Brahmaputra and Jia Bharali are still showing a rising trend at many places in the flood-hit districts.

The waters in the Brahmaputra river have already been flowing over the danger mark in some areas and are showing a rising trend.

"Standing crops have been affected in over 1,200 hectares across the state since last few weeks," the flood bulletin released by the ASDMA said Saturday, adding that the floods have also affected over 10,000 animals and poultry.

Officials at the CWC said the Brahmaputra was flowing over the danger mark in Nimatighat in Jorhat and in Dibrugarh, and the Jia Bharali river was flowing over the danger mark in Sonitpur district.

The floods have damaged six roads and a bridge in Golaghat district, the ASDMA official said, adding that embankments were breached at two places in Karimganj district.